Australia's biggest basketball name, Ben Simmons has elected to make himself unavailable for the upcoming Basketball World Cup. He has chosen to stay in camp with his Philladelphia teammates and prepare for the season ahead.
Highlights of 18-19 season, source: NBA channal on Youtube
Normally, I would be annoyed at a move like this, most Australians grow up and playing for their country, whatever the sport, is the highest honour and ultimate goal. In this instance, however, I'm a little less critical. Simmons has forged a path in the biggest Basketball league, and one of the most highly paid of any sport in the world. He has proven himself there to the point where he has recieved a maximum contract. At 22 years of age, he has set an example beyond anything acheived by any Aussie so far. While it should not be all about the money, a 5 year AUD 240 million contract is eye watering.
He needs to keep cementing his place as one of the best players in the world. The Australian national team will benefit from his acheivements in the long run. How many young Aussie kids want to play basketball now because of his acheivements. He will be there for the Olympics, and I'd love to see the Aussies challenge for the gold there.
Here is a couple of Australian media reports about his decision:
I am personally ok with Simmons skipping representative duties at this stage, to concentrate on making sure he has the best possible preparation for the upcoming season - if that is what he needs to do. It needs to be his call, however, if his manager or agent has overruled his personal preferance, then that is a different story.
How do you feel about sport stars putting their Club ahead of their Country?